"It's a career-changing opportunity for both," says two-time U.S. Open winner Tracy Austin, who is calling matches for BBC TV. "There are people in the Hall of Fame that have one Grand Slam. It validates your career."

On Centre Court on Thursday, Germany's Lisicki reached her first Grand Slam final by climbing out of a 0-3 third-set deficit and hanging on to beat fourth-seeded Agniezska Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 2-6, 9-7.

Bartoli, seeded 15th, had a much easier time. The Frenchwoman grabbed control of the match early and never let up, cruising past No. 20 seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-1, 6-2.

"I'm just so happy," said Lisicki, who received a text message of encouragement from Steffi Graf, the last German to reach the final here in 1999. "Couldn't be any better, and couldn't be any better place to play the first Grand Slam final."

Both players love Wimbledon and excel on grass.

Two years ago, Lisicki advanced to the All-England Club semifinal as a wild card, her best showing at a major until now. Bartoli reached the 2007 final, where she lost to five-time champion Venus Williams.

Both also have seen their dream of winning Wimbledon forestalled by injuries and off-court troubles.

Lisicki, 23, almost had to re-learn to walk after a severe ankle injury that sidelined her for five months in 2009.

Bartoli, 28, has wrestled with the tough decision to cut coaching ties wither her father and has struggled to replace him.

"It's a wide open, weird draw," Austin said. "They may never get this opportunity again where they are not playing a Williams, a Sharapova or Azarenka."

Lisicki created opportunity by mowing down a brutal lineup in her section. She beat six players inside the top 50, including heavy favorite and No. 1 Serena Williams in a fourth-round shocker.

Bartoli seized hers. She navigated the decimated draw that lost Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka and beat no player ranked higher than No. 17 Sloane Stephens. But beat them she did.

"I was every time the underdog coming out on the court, which this time it was totally the opposite," said Bartoli - comparing her two final runs - who is known for her love of cats, her crush on actor Pierce Brosnan and her obsessive shadow stroking when returning serve. "I was this time the highest-ranked player, and I needed to put out a great performance in order to go through. I think I've been able to deal with the pressure really well and keep improving throughout the championships and keep playing better."

Lisicki leads the head-to-head with Bartoli 3-1 but they have split their two meetings on grass, both at Wimbledon. Bartoli won in straight sets in 2008, and Lisicki needed three sets in the 2011 quarterfinals.

Tactically, there will be few surprises. The powerful Lisicki has the bigger serve and more powerful groundstrokes but can fly off the rails with bunches of unforced errors.

Bartoli, who uses two hands off both wings, will be aggressive off her returns and try to thwart the German's power with flat stokes and angles. She will need a high percentage of first serves.

Through six matches, Lisicki leads the tournament with 39 aces and has hit 88 more winners than Bartoli (201-113). She has topped out at 122 mph with her first serve, and averages 107 mph to 98 for Bartoli.

Bartoli has been the superior returner, winning 51% of her return games compared with 43% for Lisicki. She has made 41 fewer unforced errors (89-130).

Bartoli said Thursday she would be better rested than in 2007, when rain pushed the women's semifinals and final to back-to-back days without the usual one-day break in between.

Despite her higher seeding, Bartoli's return to the final after a six-year hiatus is perhaps the more surprising result. She hadn't advanced past the quarterfinals of a tournament all season and entered Wimbledon with her lowest seeding since 2007.

Off court, she was a mess. She struggled for months with whether to continue working with her father, Walter, who has been her coach and touchstone since she first picked up a racket.

The on-again, off-again situation festered all spring, and after two brief stints with other coaches Bartoli decided to tap into the resources of the French Federation of Tennis, including Fed Cup captain Amelie Mauresmo.

"I've been having some tough times, but I've always been able to come bark, bounce back, practice hard, and believe in myself," Bartoli said.

The man who shaped her game would be around Saturday.

"He's coming to the final," Bartoli said of her father. "Don't worry."

Mauresmo said working the FFT team of coaches and trainers had helped Bartoli reach a more stable state of mind.

"She's enjoying that very much," said Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion. "She's opening. She's feeling good in this atmosphere."

During her difficult rehabilitation, Lisicki said she drew inspiration from skier Hermann Maier and quarterback Drew Brees. Both came back from serious injuries to the top of their sport.

Both players said they felt more prepared than their earlier success at Wimbledon.

"This time I felt much more ready for the tournament, for the entire tournament, and I have that belief," Lisicki said.